Saturday, April 29, 2017

Cashless tolling will begin on the
Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial and Cross Bay Veterans Bridges starting at 3
a.m. on Sunday, April 30th. Cashless tolling will reduce congestion and improve
travel time at Rockaway’s major crossings ahead of the region’s summer travel
season. Starting tomorrow, cash and metal tokens will no longer be accepted at
either bridge and commuters with leftover bridge tokens are encouraged to
transition to E-Z Pass and will be eligible to redeem their tokens for a
refund. The Rockaway resident rebate program is unaffected by the switch to
cashless tolling.

"Cashless tolling will reduce congestion, improve safety and streamline
commutes on these vital arteries, providing much-needed relief to the Rockaway
community and ensuring smooth travel during the summer season," Governor Cuomo said."This
is a critical milestone and a major component of our work to upgrade, improve
and reimagine New York City’s crossings for the 21st century.”

Approximately 840,000 vehicles cross MTA bridges and tunnels each day. Cashless
tolling, which is expected to be completed at each MTA crossing this year, is
projected to save individual commuters up to 21 hours of drive time every year.
Additionally, it reduces emissions affecting local communities and
significantly decreases the amount of fuel burned by drivers, who will no
longer have to stop and start waiting to pay tolls. This will conserve
approximately one million gallons of fuel and save $2.3 million each year.

Open road tolling will be completed at all MTA bridges and tunnels by the end
of this year. The schedule is as follows:

RFK Bridge – Summer 2017

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge – Summer 2017

Throgs Neck Bridge – Fall 2017

Bronx-Whitestone Bridge – Fall 2017

The Rockaway Bridges join the Henry Hudson Bridge and the Hugh L. Carey and
Queens Midtown Tunnels, where sensors and cameras suspended over the highway on
structures known as "gantries" read E-ZPass tags and take license
plate images, so vehicles no longer have to stop and pay the toll. Vehicles
with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged, and vehicles without E-ZPass have
their license plate recorded and a bill is mailed to the registered owner of
the vehicle. E-ZPass tags should be mounted inside the vehicle’s front
windshield.

Starting tomorrow, cash and metal tokens will no longer be accepted at either
bridge and commuters with leftover bridge tokens are encouraged to transition
to E-Z Pass and will be eligible to redeem their tokens for a refund. Leftover
tokens may be easily redeemed by visiting one of the E-ZPass New York Customer
Service Center walk-in centers and completing a token redemption request, or by
calling 212-360-3000, selecting option 6 and requesting a
token refund kit. Resident token users will be mailed information from MTA
Bridges and Tunnels with instructions on how to transition from tokens to E-ZPass.
Non-resident token users can go to mta.info/e-zpass to
get more information on opening an E-ZPass account. Electronic tokens or
E-Token E-ZPass plans will also be available starting today.

Veronique Hakim, MTA Interim Executive
Director, said,“There is no better way to welcome people to the
Rockaways at the start of summer tourism season than to make it easier to get
there with cashless toiling. Commuters will be able to breeze through gantries and
get where they want to go instead of waiting in traffic at toll booths.
Governor's Cuomo's directive to accelerate the schedule to get this work done
benefits everyone and couldn't come at a more perfect time."

To make it easy for drivers to pay their tolls, MTA Bridges and Tunnels has
introduced a number of programs. Customers can sign up for E-ZPass and
save 30-50 percent on MTA B&T tolls at MTA.info/E-ZPass even
if they do not own a car. Drivers who receive a Tolls by Mail bill can
pay it online at the Tolls by Mail website; by
mail; over the phone; or in-person, and payment options include check, credit
card, checking account, or cash. Customers who call **826 from a mobile phone
will receive a text with a link to the Tolls by Mail website and information on
how to set up a Pay Toll Now account that can be used by rental car customers.

To ensure that all users of MTA Bridges and Tunnels toll facilities pay their
fair share, a series of enforcement measures are in place to tackle toll
payment evasion and chronic toll scofflaws. Customers who do not pay their
tolls are subject to violation fees, registration suspensions, and other
enforcement actions. Late fees accrue if an initial toll bill is unpaid, and if
a second notice is also ignored, violation fees of up to $100 per toll
violation may be imposed.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has enacted regulation that
allows suspension of the vehicle registration of motorists who fail to pay
three tolls, violation fees, and other charges resulting from violations on
different days, within a period of five years, and ignore toll authorities'
repeated notices.

On
Friday, May 1, 1992, President George H.W. Bush gave a live address to
the nation in response to the violence in L.A. that followed the
acquittal of the four police officers who beat Rodney King and it is
presented here in its entirety. He expresses outrage at the violence and
terror of the previous two days and vows to restore order.

When
Peter Westbrook became the first black man to win an Olympic medal in
fencing in the 80s, he vowed to put his win and stature to good use.
After later establishing the Peter Westbrook Foundation, he's done just
that. Through his initiative he trains black inner city youth to honor
the sport and use it as a means of expression beyond its physical
requirements. His trainees include accomplished black fencers such as
Nzingha Prescod, Keeth and Erin Smart, and Ibtihaj Muhammad who recently
won bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

As President Trump approaches his 100th day in office, the Congressional Black Caucus is asking the country to "stay woke."

In a list
provided exclusively to NBC News, the caucus has detailed 100 racially
problematic actions and remarks by the Trump administration.

Using "#StayWoke," the internet-popular phrase
that is an urge to remain well-informed and politically and socially
conscious, the caucus is specifically trying to get the message out to
the younger generation.

"We don't want people to get distracted by all
of the action and noise and want them to stay focused on the facts,"
said CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond, D-Louisiana. "And the facts are this
administration is dangerous to America and here are the reasons why and
this is just 100 days. Think, we have hundreds and hundreds of days
left."

We are mere hours from the end of the first 100 days of Donald
Trump's administration, which has proven to be an administration marred
by xenophobia, assaults on the female reproductive system, and the
confirmation of an attorney general with a history of voter
discrimination and voter suppression.

And, perhaps one of the most jarring
sentiments is the blatant attempt to discredit or erase the importance,
history and impact of historically black institutions of higher learning
in this country.

Following Trump's Secretary of Education pick Betsy DeVos calling HBCUs "pioneers" of "school choice," negating
the history of institutional racisms, Jim Crow laws, bigotry and hatred
that barred black students from attending Predominately White
Institutions (PWIs), we are left wondering: will this administration
continue to erase and demean blackness?

Attorney General Jeff Sessions tells TODAY he would “expect not to be
involved” in the potential prosecution of former national security
adviser Michael Flynn. Regarding President Trump’s remark in a new
interview that being president is harder than he anticipated, he says
that Trump is “prepared,” but as a former businessman, may find the
minutiae of Washington a “frustration.”

Dozens of nationalists stormed the parliament building in the capital Skopje and attacked opposition lawmakers.

The protesters were mainly supporters of
Macedonia's dominant conservative party, according to Reuters and other
journalists on the ground. Some of them wore balaclavas and sported the
country's national flag, a yellow sun on a red field.

The scenes inside the young country's
legislature resembled nothing short of a riot. Large crowds also
gathered outside the building.

At least 100 people were injured including 22
police officers, according to The Associated Press. Among those wounded
were Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev, who was filmed with blood
streaming down his face and onto his shirt, as well as the head of a
small ethnic-Albanian opposition party.

The winners of the 16th annual Tribeca Film Festival's juried competition have been revealed.

Awards
were distributed in the following feature film competition categories:
U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, Documentary, New Narrative
Director, The Albert Maysles New Documentary Director, and the Nora
Ephron Prize, honoring a woman writer or director. Awards were also
given in the short film categories: Narrative, Documentary, Student
Visionary and Animation.

Screenings of the award–winning films
will take place throughout the final day of the festival: Sunday, April
30, at various venues. Specific times and ticketing information are
available at www.tribecafilm.com/festival.

In just one week, 6,326 New Yorkers have
consented to enroll in the New York State Donate Life Registry via NY State of
Health, New York's official health plan marketplace, as of April 27. Governor
Cuomo announced this new registration option last week on Donate Life's Blue
& Green Day, aimed at increasing organ donor registration across the
country.

"People across New York have answered the call and made the selfless
decision to become organ donors," Governor
Cuomo said. "As National Donate Life Month comes to a close, I
thank those who have signed up to potentially save lives and encourage those
who have not yet done so to register today."

Governor Cuomo signed legislation last year requiring NY State of Health to add
the organ donation component to its health insurance application. Individuals
16 years of age or older who are completing an application, renewing a plan, or
making a life status change are now asked if they would like to be added to the
NYS Donate Life Registry.

According to the federal Organ Procurement and Transplant
Network, nearly 10,000 New Yorker are included on a list of more than
118,000 people nationwide currently waiting for an organ transplant. On
average, 22 people die each day in the United States from causes that could
have been treated with a donated organ. In addition, tissue donated by one
person can positively impact the lives of more than 50 other people.

In addition to registering through NY State of Health, New
Yorkers can now enroll in the NYS Donate Life Registry through the following:

New York State Department of Health
Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, "We’ve made it easier than
ever for New Yorkers to show their care and generosity by offering the gift of
life. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership millions of New Yorkers who purchase
insurance through NY State of Health can now say “yes” to one of the most
important decision of their lives, or someone else’s."

DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner Terri
Egan said, "Governor Cuomo’s commitment to raising awareness about
organ donation has led to thousands of new potential donors enrolling through
the NY State of Health Marketplace. We salute New Yorkers who have chosen to
give the gift of life and are proud to partner with the Governor and the Health
Department to increase organ donations across New York."

Aisha Tator, Executive Director of the
New York Alliance for Donation said, "Numerous surveys have been
conducted showing that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support the concept of organ
and tissue donation. We know from past efforts that in regards to organ and
tissue donation, the more opportunities New Yorkers have to join the registry,
the more who actually take action and register. The key is making the
opportunities to register as an organ and tissue donor plentiful and simple. I
commend the Governor, New York State Legislature, and New York State Department
of Health for taking yet another bold step and making a difference in the lives
of the nearly 10,000 New Yorkers currently awaiting a lifesaving organ
transplant."

Mumia Abu Jamal and his brother, Keith Cook(Click on the photos to increase their size.)

The following was submitted by Noelle Hanrahan, Director of Prison Radio.

Where is Mumia? Concern was
heightened last night when word came from the prison that Mumia had asked
someone to call out and tell people he was being moved. Given the
animosity of the administration and guards, and the recent deaths in custody,
Mumia was worried and his family was worried regarding this abrupt
transfer. It turns out that Mumia was moved to the infirmary and not told
why. Today, the prison said it was in preparation for an outside medical
appointment this morning, and in fact Mumia went to the hospital at 6 a.m. and
was returned to the prison at 11:45
a.m.

He was immediately brought to the visiting room to visit with Keith
Cook, Mumia’s brother, and Dr. Suzanne Ross. They came out of the prison at 4 p.m.
For now, two weeks into his Hep C treatment, Mumia is on the road to recovering
his health. Keith told us that Mumia wants to make sure you know
that he “Thanks you and he loves everyone, and he knows how powerful the
movement is, that stands behind him. And that the prison knows that people have
his back, and that is very important”.

Dateline: Philadelphia, Monday, 4-24-2017

For Mumia Abu-Jamal to get out of prison his criminal conviction needs to be
challenged and overturned. The newest chapter in this struggle took place
in the Common Pleas Courts of Philadelphia before Judge Leon Tucker.

Christina Swarns

On April 24, 2017 in room 805 Christina Swarns of the NAACP LDF,
and Judith Ritter of Widner appeared before the court to argue that a new
Supreme Court ruling required the reinstatement of Mumia’s appellate rights. On
the other side Ronald Eisenberg, Deputy DA argued for the Commonwealth.

This potential reopening of Mumia’s
appeals began when the U.S. Supreme Court declared unconstitutional the former
Philadelphia DA and PA Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castille’s practice of
sitting in judgement on his own cases; the cases where he was a prosecutor and
DA. In Williams v. the Commonwealth the Supreme Court ordered a new trial
because Castille was obligated in the interest of justice and fairness to
recuse himself from these appeals.

After Mumia's Philadelphia Court Hearing, April 24

Swarns put on the record that the DA’s
office had lied to the court regarding the “lack of involvement” of Castille in
similar cases, and was rebuked by the U.S. Supreme court because of it. Notably,
the judge asked the DA Eisenberg, that if the time bar and the retroactivity
claim were met, would Mumia Abu-Jamal be entitled to relief. Eisenberg
agree, saying yes, Mumia’s appellate rights would be reinstated. There is no
doubt that the district attorney’s office will appeal to PA Superior Court and
the PA Supreme Court if discovery on this issue is granted.

The
Dr Boyce Watkins Channel is an all-black news and commentary channel
that features a number of African American thinkers, commentators and
speakers. The views of each video are not necessarily representative of
those of Dr Boyce Watkins himself.

Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) is an evidence-based
and effective gang and violence prevention program built around
school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curricula.
The Program is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth
violence, and gang membership for children in the years immediately
before the prime ages for introduction into gangs and delinquent
behavior.

The G.R.E.A.T. Program is built around school-based, law enforcement
officer-instructed classroom curricula. It provides a continuum of
components for children and their families. These components include a
13-lesson middle school curriculum, a 6-lesson elementary school
curriculum, a summer component, and a families component.

WERD Atlanta was the first radio station owned and operated by African-Americans.

WDIA in Memphis was on the air in 1948 doing Black—or Negro as it was then
called—programming, but the owners were not African American). Jesse B.
Blayton Sr., an accountant, bank president, and Atlanta University
professor, purchased WERD in 1949 for $50,000. He changed the station
format to "Black appeal" and hired his son Jesse Jr. as station manager."Jockey" Jack Gibson was hired and by 1951 he was the most popular DJ in Atlanta.

In this video, which was published on YouTube on October 20, 2015, Executive Director, David Williams, gives us some history of the
historic WERD radio station in Atlanta, GA. The first Black-owned Radio
Station, established in 1949, It was also a hair salon owned by Madam
C.J. Walker.

Latino, African American and Asian American Democratic members of
Congress said on Wednesday they plan to "fight together" against Trump
administration policies that impact their communities.

The chairs of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)
— collectively known as the Tri-Caucus — met Wednesday on Capitol Hill
with the five Democratic senators of color as part of a strategy to
bring Democratic minority legislators together as a bloc. They said this
was an effective way to push back against any Trump administration
policies or GOP proposals they consider detrimental to the Asian
American, Black, and Hispanic communities.

Overnight, the North Korean regime threatened to wipe out the U.S. and
South Korea if either shows the slightest provocation. And information
is emerging about what was said during a rare White House briefing on
North Korea for the entire Senate. NBC White House correspondent Kristen
Welker reports for TODAY.

President Trump now says he will not immediately pull the U.S. out of
NAFTA, even though earlier in the day, his advisers said he was
considering it. Meanwhile, many question how the White House will pay
for may be the biggest tax cut in U.S. history. NBC national
correspondent Peter Alexander reports for TODAY.

Imagine this scenario: A terror suspect is holding hostages in a
public space. A police-operated drone with a camera swoops in to assess
the situation and determines he is armed and dangerous.

The man is coaxed to surrender by a SWAT team,
but his posturing suggests he is about to shoot. As a final resort, the
drone — toting a firearm — hits the suspect. He is neutralized.

The way some lawmakers in Connecticut see it,
weaponized drones represent a future for policing — and could be a
necessary option in moments when lives are at stake. That's why a bill
making its way through the state legislature would be the first in the
nation to explicitly allow police to add lethal weapons to drones.

New York, NY - FPWA
commends New York City Mayor de Blasio for once again presenting an Executive
Budget for the coming fiscal year that has the real potential of improving
opportunity for individuals, children and families. Funding to increase
wages for City-contracted low-wage workers, Pre-K seats, supports for youth
through afterschool programs and summer youth employment, and funding for legal
services for the City’s immigrant and undocumented residents all demonstrate a
continued commitment to moving New York City forward.

If we are to truly be a city of equity
and opportunity for all, however, the City must also invest in older adults,
and in the human services sector that cares for them and for all New Yorkers in
need. Despite mounting waitlists for services for the city's fastest growing
population, the Department for the Aging's budget continues to stagnate with no
plan to address rapidly increasing needs. We urge the administration and the
City Council to prioritize funding for supportive services for the aging in the
adopted budget with an investment of $60.6 million in FY18 to baseline core
services, meet current needs, and begin to plan and build out a strong safety
net for older New Yorkers.

Decades' old underfunding of the human
services sector, upon which the City relies for mandated and other services
like child care and UPK, homeless services, youth services, and senior
services, remains a serious and time-sensitive issue. The Executive Budget does
include a 2% cost of living adjustment over three consecutive years for non-profit,
City-contracted staff, but the City must also invest in the infrastructure of
the sector and pay the full cost of delivering services before these and
organizations are forced to turn back contracts and even close their doors.
FPWA appreciates the City's efforts to address this critical need, and
the opportunity to partner with the City in doing so.

We join with other advocates in calling
upon Mayor de Blasio to provide reduced fares for public transportation for low
income New Yorkers for whom a subway or bus ride at full fare sometimes means
missing a meal. We urge Mayor de Blasio to include funding for
half-priced MetroCards in the City’s budget, beginning FY18.

Preserving New York City’s status as a
leader and model of progressiveness requires that the final budget include
these critical supports. We look forward to continue working with the
administration to strengthen our vital safety net and move us closer to being a
City of equal opportunity for all. – Jennifer Jones Austin, FPWA CEO and
Executive Director

The New York State Department of
Taxation and Finance today reminded taxpayers unable to pay their tax debt in
full to consider requesting an Installment
Payment Agreement (IPA).

“We want to make it as easy as possible
for taxpayers to pay what they owe,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion.
“We’ll work with taxpayers to find a convenient payment solution, one
beneficial to them and New York State.”

The Tax Department understands that
circumstances can arise that prevent individuals and businesses from paying in
full or on time. That’s why it offers opportunities to make a simple one-time
payment online or arrange a payment plan.

Taxpayers who can’t pay their tax debt
in full can request an IPA. Since the beginning of 2017, more than 19,000
taxpayers have taken advantage of this option, paying back a total of more than
$94.2 million in tax debt.

Individuals also have a new option—Quick
Pay—that allows them to pay a bill or tax debt directly from their bank
accounts. The app can be accessed from home computers as well as a smartphone
or mobile device.

In addition, taxpayers can use Tax
Department Online
Services accounts to make payments from their bank account or via credit
card, check balances, respond to notices, update their information and more.
Visit www.tax.ny.gov
to set up an account or log in to an existing account.

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IN MEMORIAM

This site is dedicated to the legacy and life of the incomparable Les Payne, who stated the following: "From The G-Man is very impressive in concept, design and execution." Mr. Payne was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, co-founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, and the former assistant managing editor of Newsday (Click on photo)

NYPD IS STILL CONDUCTING WARRANT SEARCHES DURING MEDICAL DISTRESS CALLS

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY WARNS THE PUBLIC OF THE RISKS OF GUARDIANSHIP

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U.S. Army Issues Statement on 'From The G-Man' News Report

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IRELAND DURING THE 1940s AND 50s

This moving coming-of-age narrative transports the reader to a quiet way of life, lost and gone forever. Betrayal, tragedy and perseverance lay in store for John Joe Baxter, growing up in Ireland during the 1940s and 50s. Click on the image to learn more.

I invite you to order a personal reading or a copy of my book 'Numbers And You' Now!

Appearing on national TV shows, such as “Oprah Winfrey”, “Geraldo”, Regis Philbin and Kathy Lee”, “The Montel Williams Show” and “Tony Brown’s Journal”, etc., along with countless radio appearances across the country, LLoyd Strayhorn has always left the audience mesmerized. His refreshing and warm delivery to the subject of astro/numerology is upbeat, positive, sincere and amazingly on target. His popular best seller, “Numbers and You”, a Ballantine Publication, is sold in bookstores around the globe. Click the image to purchase your copy or request a personal reading today!

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Hit YouTube Series (Sister Site)

Click on the image to view hard-hitting and powerful episodes of the critically acclaimed news and information series. All episodes were conceived, directed, edited, produced and written by "The G-Man".

About Me

Gary Glennell Toms - Creator and Managing Editor of this site and "The G-Man Interviews" ---
Former associate editor, reporter and columnist for "The Wave of Long Island" ---
Broke stories that were later picked up by "The New York Times", "The Daily News" and "Newsday", among others. ---
Has received numerous awards for journalism and community service.

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REPORTERS ROUNDTABLE, 2002

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AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE

"From The G-Man" has been honored by the New York State Senate for excellence in the areas of journalism, new media and community service. (Click to enlarge.)

"It is my honor, as a duly elected member of the NYS Senate, to recognize this outstanding citizen, one who is worthy of the esteem of the community and the great state of New York." - Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr.